Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Westmont, CA.

Babies are born with a drive to stay close to a caregiver. This human survival instinct persists into adulthood as the drive to form a secure bond with a partner. No matter how old we are, emotional connection still feels like safety, while isolation feels like danger. It makes sense then that if you don’t feel securely connected to another person, you will be more vulnerable to anxiety. Yet often the anxiety itself makes it difficult for you to form the secure connection you need so much. Emotionally Focused Therapy can help you break this cycle and form secure bonds that serve as both a safe haven when you need support, and a secure base from which you can confidently go out into the world

Stress or anxiety don’t always get in the way, but sometimes they do. Learn to identify the sources, recognize how they stop you, and change the impact they have on you and your life. Learn how old patterns shape your self-image, self-esteem, and expectations, and discover new ways of dealing with that. Fear doesn’t have to stop you from having what you want in life. And, sometimes it’s a valuable asset, like knowing which is the lion and which is the lamb. Psychotherapy with me helps you to sort out when to listen to the fears and when they no longer apply. You’ll also learn coping strategies that can help when you’re caught up in the fear. Your fears don’t have to control you.

Panic attacks? Things like panic attacks, trichotillomania, obsessive behaviors, even brain freeze can all be helped with the proper tools. Stress about taking a big exam like the BAR, State Boards, LMFT, LPCC, LCSW, CPA, SAT or other standardized tests. We offer specialized hypnosis sessions where symptoms are often reduced within 3-5 sessions. Fear of driving, flying or a special performance. Hypnosis is a fast effective solution. We also offer traditional psychotherapy using behavioral modification, positive psychology, and solution focused techniques to help you find the courage to face your fears. We offer tools to reduce your anxiety and manage your emotions.

My approach to stress and anxiety is to help people reduce their tendency to be perfect or becoming demanding of themselves or others. Stress and anxiety will happen due to life demands or due to various role conflict in our life when we are trying to do too much. People will beneift from my approach as I help people learn how to ask for help, set their boundaires over what they can and cannot control, learn how to surrender and let go, and seek relaxation techniques such as exercise, healthy eating, meditation, and engaging in fun and meaningful activities. Learning how to say no and where to ask others to help you can also be beneficial.

Stress is something we experience when our circumstances feel too demanding for our control. We can feel the symptoms of stress both emotionally and physically. Stress can cause us to feel anxious and out of control. Therapy can help to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety by reframing these situations. It's a safe place to talk about the problems you are feeling anxious about and to work on different solutions to these problems. My framework is a problem solving approach but with a search for a deeper understanding as to why these situations may be causing anxiety and stress.

There is an old saying that "stress kills". You cannot function fully when stressed and you must do something about it. There are two types of anxiety. One is a normal reaction to a stressful event. The other is an abnormal reaction which can continue to plague you throughout your life. Anxiety can become overwhelming and debilitating. In time, your anxiety may generalize where you may experience anxious feelings and not even know why. Together we can help you to rid the anxiety from your life. To deal with anxiety you must confront it as the symptoms associated with it will only subside by looking at the source of the anxiety and being proactive in tackling the stress you feel. Feel free to call....

Anxiety and stress can have a huge impact on not only your mental health, but also your physical health (sleep, appetite), your relationships with others and your regular activities of daily life. Working with a therapist to understand your anxiety and help you manage those feelings that trigger anxiety in your life can help you get back to your regular routine and regain a sense of control over your own life.

I go by the motto “the more you scare yourself, the more you grow.” This is why I encourage every my clients to scare themselves daily and sit with the fear that comes up. I call this the “Leap of Faith.” You see, the more you can experience the vulnerability of fear, the more likely the chance that you will not experience the anxiety related to it down the road. Each time you face your fears, you gain more CONFIDENCE, and this confidence/faith is the key to everything.

The approach that I have found most helpful in working with people with anxiety and stress issues is helping them FIRST learn to slow down and relax. I have been trained and have worked for many years with victims of trauma who experience enormous amounts of stress. First, teaching coping skills and then exploring the underlying cause for the anxiety and/or stress. People with anxiety often report various symptoms ranging from having difficulty concentrating, being afraid to do things they used to do, having headaches, sweating a lot, having hypertension, fatigue, heart palpitations, and sexual dysfunction. Often, people with anxiety have limited support because they are embarrassed or....

Many people experience anxiety and stress at any given time. Once it becomes part of your life, it can start effecting you and the people around you. Therapy can help identify where the anxiety is and where it is originated. Therapy can be benefited by decreasing your anxiety and be able to manage your everyday functioning. Tools will be offered to minimize your anxiety regardless of the situation given.

Everyone experiences anxiety at some point, but for some the anxiety is so frequent or intense that it interferes with their lives or even triggers panic attacks. I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help my clients get a sense of control over their own anxiety. We collaborate to learn skills to reduce the frequency or intensity of the anxious feelings, to tolerate the anxiety when it does occur so they can still function through it, and to practice habits that reduce stress and improve general mental health.

Do you worry all the time? Is stress negatively impacting your life? Does the anxiety that you experience cause you to miss out on living life to the fullest? Allow me to help you to master your worry, stress and anxiety. Although some worry and anxiety is a normal part of life, it should not interfere with life itself. Together, we can discover strategies to improve your overall well-being.

Stress and anxiety are often the root causes leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as addiction and eating disorders. By evaluating triggers for stress and/or anxiety and developing healthy coping strategies (often with cognitive behavioral interventions), patients learn to self regulate and experience significant mood improvement. When necessary, referrals for medications are made as an adjunct to psychotherapy.